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<title>Prompt 40 - Bit by Vidra</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987695">Prompt 40 - Bit</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vidra/pseuds/Vidra'>Vidra</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:41:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,348</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28987695</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vidra/pseuds/Vidra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>bit</p>
<p>noun</p>
<p>the mouthpiece of a bridle, having fittings at each end to which the reins are fastened.</p>
<p>anything that curbs or restrains.</p>
<p>verb (used with object), bit·ted, bit·ting.</p>
<p>to put a bit in the mouth of (a horse).</p>
<p>to curb or restrain with, or as with, a bit.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eskel/Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>BIKM Bingo Challenge - Team Three</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Prompt 40 - Bit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>There is no firm pairings here but if I was to continue this in the future the tagged pairings are what I currently think I would write.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>bit</b>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>noun</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>the mouthpiece of a bridle, having fittings at each end to which the reins are fastened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>anything that curbs or restrains.</span>
</p>
<p><em><span>verb (used with object),</span></em> <b>bit·ted,</b> <b>bit·ting.</b></p>
<p>
  <span>to put a bit in the mouth of (a horse).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>to curb or restrain with, or as with, a bit.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>At one point he’s sure that he knew how many days it had been since he had been captured. At first, they had left him alone in the first cell they’d thrown him into seemingly content to let him languish there tracking the passing days via the small window high up of the ground and via the meals of water and bread delivered morning and evening. Then something had changed he was quite sure what since despite his queries none of the guards stayed consistent enough for him to try and strike up some sort of rapport and get information on exactly why Nilfgaard forces had grabbed him. He of course knew it was likely in conjunction with Geralt but it had been almost a full year since he had last seen the Witcher and most people seemed to be aware of their falling out, a fact that once Jaskier had heard through his networks exactly who Nilfgaard was looking had made sure to proclaim loudly and elaborate upon to whoever would listen. The guise of a fool was a useful one that plenty of people including Geralt at times seemed to believe was in fact who he truly was. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something had changed though, someone must have spotted either Geralt or the princess because after what he thinks was day seventeen of his confinement more than one guard had shown up to his cell and he had been unlocked from the manacles and roughly hauled down to the end of the stone hallway. As soon as they had hauled him out of the cell he’d known what was coming and was rather surprised that they’d waited until now to resort to torture. It hadn’t taken him long to lose time after that repeated torture tended to do that to a person. The questions were of course what he had expected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where would the Witcher take the princess. Do you know where he meets the sorceress? Does he have a particular route he travels every year?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had taken days for them to realize that most of his answers led to dead ends and were designed to make them waste time and resources. Finally, a brunette haired man whose eyes had been lit with fanatical fire that sent shivers down Jaskier’s spine had come in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If he won’t say anything of use gag him, permanently.” With that decree, the man had swept back out leaving Jaskier dangling from the restraints he had been strung up in to allow the torturer ease of access to him with finally a sense of dread filling the pit of his stomach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had finally let that fear consume him when one of the guards came back carrying an iron mask. He had of course seen scold’s bridles in history books but most civilized countries had outlawed them. He wasn’t sure which depths they had gone to dig this one up from but he had struggled as hard as his weakened body could as they had wrestled open his mouth to insert the spiked tongue press and lock the contraption around his face. He had lost time after that the mask’s mouth allowed water and thin gruel to be dribbled into his mouth by the guards but swallowing tore his tongue anew each time. Why they were keeping him alive he wasn’t sure but they seemed to be motivated enough to remember to do so somewhat regularly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eskel was going to kick Geralt up and down the keep when he got back to Kaer Morhen. He’d gone back out onto the Path somewhat reluctantly because some of them had to, it would look odd if all the remaining Witchers suddenly stopped killing monsters and disappeared. Everything had been fine until some villager had told a nearby Nilgaard patrol that the was a Witcher matching the ‘White Wolf’s” description nearby who was most likely exhausted from taking care of a wyvern’s nest. He had been out of armour trying to figure out if he could repair a tear in the leather himself or if it warranted finding and spending the coin on an armourer when they had descended upon him. They’d managed to overwhelm him though they had quickly realized his dark brown hair and facial scars didn’t match Geralt’s visage and instead they’d hauled him off and thrown him into the dungeons of some unfortunate lord’s manor they’d taken over. He quickly realized they had no intentions of trying to torture him right away, they had some other poor fellow strung up at the end of the hall and none seemed to feel brave enough to try and force answers out of him in his cell. They had however not been hesitant about talking about the Witcher’s bard that they had captive down the and hall whom Eskel was guessing was the poor fellow he occasionally heard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fuck Geralt, guess he’s on a save his ass mission, as well as Geralt’s bard friend, is they had who they seemed to think they did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had taken a day for whatever the concoction that they had forced down his throat that had made his head fuzzy to wear off and for him to decide as he felt Lambert would probably say “Fuck this shit I’m out.” He had played up still being dazed and confused when the guards had checked on him. At night only a single guard had come with his supper and he was admittedly a bit surprised at well </span>
  <em>
    <span>Axii</span>
  </em>
  <span> had worked on the fellow. The guard had dazedly unlocked the manacles before stepping back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How many guards on duty currently?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eight.” Eskel could work with eight especially if he decided to sneak out rather than causing a scene though that may depend on how rough of shape the bard was in. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How can I get out?” The guard seemed to be fighting his hold now but he still answered, only one way out up the stairs he been brought down but the door wasn’t locked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With that answer, Eskel didn’t hesitate in knocking the guard out and chaining him up. Time to get the bard and get out. His swords and gear had been oh so conveniently hung up across from the cell and a bag and lute case that he had to assume belonged to the other captive, with quickly he armoured up before slinging his swords across his back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door at the end of the hall wasn’t locked though he immediately saw why they weren’t worried about the occupant trying to escape strung up so his feet were just barely flat was a man whose face was covered with a dark, iron mask. Eskel hadn’t seen once of these used in years but he knew he couldn’t safely remove it here. The other man was conscious though and raised his head to stare at Eskel through the eye slits in the mask. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaskier?” The masked man nodded. “We’re getting out of here.” with that sorted Eskel set about undoing the restraints. As soon as the manacles were undone the other man’s weight sagged onto the Witcher who hadn’t realized just how much the bard had been relying on the restraints to hold him upright. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you walk?” The man who once he stood up was surprisingly not as short or even as slender as Eskel had expected him to be from Geralt’s descriptions took a couple of testing steps before nodding. Eskel eyed up the man’s bare feet for a moment before shrugging they could sort footwear after they got out of here. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stay close.” With that Eskel took the lead not sure exactly what feeling had sparked in his chest when a look of determination had entered the grey eyes that stared back at him unafraid. </span>
</p>
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